pyxlsb
Excel 2007-2010 Binary Workbook (xlsb) parser
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes, if you need to read legacy xlsb files and have no alternative. The package is stable, dependency-free, and has no known vulnerabilities. However, do not rely on it for new projects or expect updates—it is abandoned. If you control the source files, consider converting them to xlsx or csv. The LGPLv3+ license requires derivative works to remain open-source.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Low install friction with no runtime dependencies.
- However, the package is abandoned—last commit was 2023-08-27 and no releases since 2022-10-14.
- It is marked Production/Stable but receives no active maintenance.
License · maintenance · safety
LGPLv3+ (copyleft) — Licensed under LGPLv3+, a copyleft license. Any derivative work or modification must be released under the same or compatible license; proprietary use requires careful review.
last release 2022-10-14 (1400 days) · last repo commit 2023-08-27 · 96 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 11,464,755 downloads/mo, #1,392 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install pyxlsb
from pyxlsb import open_workbook, convert_date
with open_workbook('Book1.xlsb') as wb:
with wb.get_sheet(1) as sheet:
for row in sheet.rows():
print(row)
# Returns Cell objects with r, c, v attributes; use convert_date() for date floats- Whether the package handles modern Excel binary formats beyond 2007-2010 versions
- Current compatibility with Python versions beyond 3.9 given the abandoned status
- Whether edge cases in xlsb parsing (complex formulas, embedded objects, macros) are supported
What it is and what it does
pyxlsb is a parser for Excel Binary Workbook files (xlsb format) that were used in Excel 2007-2010. It provides a simple API to open xlsb files, retrieve sheets by index or name, and iterate over rows as Cell objects containing row, column, and value data. The library handles basic data extraction and includes a utility to convert Excel date floats into Python datetime objects.
The package has no external runtime dependencies and installs cleanly. However, it is no longer actively maintained—the last commit was in August 2023 and the last release in October 2022. While marked as Production/Stable in its classifiers, it will not receive bug fixes or updates for newer Python versions or Excel format changes. It is suitable only for reading legacy xlsb files in stable, well-understood workflows.
Use it for
- Extract data from older Excel binary workbooks (2007-2010 era) in batch data pipelines
- Migrate legacy xlsb files to modern formats by parsing and re-exporting the data
- Read xlsb files in environments where openpyxl or other modern libraries are unavailable
- Convert Excel date values stored as floats into datetime objects for analysis
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes, if you need to read legacy xlsb files and have no alternative.
The package is stable, dependency-free, and has no known vulnerabilities. However, do not rely on it for new projects or expect updates—it is abandoned. If you control the source files, consider converting them to xlsx or csv. The LGPLv3+ license requires derivative works to remain open-source.
Install
pyxlsb on PyPI
Before you install
Low install friction with no runtime dependencies. However, the package is abandoned—last commit was 2023-08-27 and no releases since 2022-10-14. It is marked Production/Stable but receives no active maintenance.
License in practice
Licensed under LGPLv3+, a copyleft license. Any derivative work or modification must be released under the same or compatible license; proprietary use requires careful review.
Quickstart
pip install pyxlsb
from pyxlsb import open_workbook, convert_date
with open_workbook('Book1.xlsb') as wb:
with wb.get_sheet(1) as sheet:
for row in sheet.rows():
print(row)
# Returns Cell objects with r, c, v attributes; use convert_date() for date floatsVerify before relying
- Whether the package handles modern Excel binary formats beyond 2007-2010 versions
- Current compatibility with Python versions beyond 3.9 given the abandoned status
- Whether edge cases in xlsb parsing (complex formulas, embedded objects, macros) are supported
Package facts
| License | LGPLv3+ copyleft |
| Python support | Not specified |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | None |
| Maintenance | Abandoned 1,400 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 11,464,755 / month, #1,392 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Development Status :: 5 - Production/StableLicense :: OSI Approved :: GNU Lesser General Public License v3 or later (LGPLv3+)Programming Language :: Python :: 2Programming Language :: Python :: 2.7Programming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3.5Programming Language :: Python :: 3.6Programming Language :: Python :: 3.7Programming Language :: Python :: 3.8Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9 |
Evidence: pyxlsb-1.0.10-py2.py3-none-any.whl
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See also pyxlsx · excelrd · xlrd3 · pylightxl · FlowIO · openpyxl · aspose-cells · xlrd · aspose-cells-python · XMind